The Big Lebowski (Widescreen Collector's Edition)

Buy This Item The Big Lebowski (Widescreen Collector's Edition) by Gramercy Pictures  Available from Amazon  $9.99  on 8-31-2008     After the tight plotting and quirky intensity of <i>Fargo</i>, this casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen (Ethan and Joel) brothers seems like a bit of a lark, and the result was a box-office disappointment. The good news is, <i>The Big Lebowski</i> is every bit a Coen movie, and its lazy plot is part of its laidback charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And where else could you find a hairnetted Latino bowler named Jesus (John Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist (Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plot--which finds Lebowski involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy with the same name--is almost beside the point. What counts here is a steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity that puts the Coens in a class all their own. Be sure to watch with snacks in hand, because <i>The Big Lebowski</i> might give you a giddy case of the munchies. <i>--Jeff Shannon</i> Reader Reviews I'm not going to write the usual things that you read in reviews about this film because there are a lot of reviews here that are incredibly repetitive and another one wouldn't serve anybody. Also, I live in Los Angeles, do work and have worked in the film business in different capacities over the years and I have very different things to say about this film ... so readers be warned. I saw this movie when it was released at the Hollywood Galaxy with a few friends and I'll be honest, the scope and impact of it didn't hit me right away. After I saw it, I didn't say "Sweet Jesus ... that's a masterpiece!" It was only when I saw it a few more times in the next handful of years did it dawn on me how good this film actually is. First, I want to tell you that the bowling alley where this was filmed, no longer exists. The Los Angeles Unified School District annexed the land, tore down the structure and erected a high school in its place. I used to bowl there regularly when it was still kicking though and I even have a memory of seeing the "We're going to be closed due to filming" sign that was slapped across the glass door just before they shot it. I also have a memory of the sign that said "We're closing our doors for good" sign when they put that up, too. Sadly, a lot of the fixtures, the exterior lights and different pieces of memorabilia were vultured and used as interior décor at the uber-silly Lucky Strike lanes located in the mega center of Hollywood and Highland. `Lucky Strike' is a place where no self-respecting bowler would step foot into, it's a place where they cheerfully play `The Eagles' on the jukebox and bourgeois fascists run amuck. It's a place full of fake tan wannabe trust-funders reciting `Killers' lyrics in a drunken haze as if it were poetry. I mourned the day the Hollywood Star Lanes closed and wept the day Lucky Strike opened with its stolen décor. If Walter Sobchak had anything to say, he'd do something about it. The next place is Johnnie's over on Wilshire and La Brea. Johnnie's was fully functional during the time that they shot there, just like Hollywood Lanes, but now it's a full-time film location and only opens for crews when they're shooting something. Some may sigh and feel bummed that they missed the opportunity to eat at the counter like Walter, all I can say is don't worry about it. I ate there several times and it was pretty bad. The waitresses were original décor, the food was almost inedible and the coffee smelled like turpentine. I wish I was exaggerating, but I'm not. If anyone tells you different about Johnnie's, don't bite - it's a sham. It's just one of those things that looked better on film than it ever was in real life. Next, I've been on a few film sets through years, and every time I hear the Director or the Producer utter the title of this film, I immediately freeze to hear what's coming next. One set in particular, the Director squealed out during an argument with a production person: "It's going to be just like The Big Lebowski!" I cringed when I heard that, as did several other people. Trying not to laugh was also painful. Nothing could be like The Big Lebowski. If anything could, we'd be surrounded by close facsimiles and we're not, which is why this film is such a classic now, from the first frame to the last. People will struggle to emulate this film in every way and probably all will fail. Even now, I've heard rumor that there is a screenplay and plans for another installment of The Dude and his troubles. The word `sequel' is not being used and thusly avoided. It's anybody's guess as to what's going to happen and when. You can hate me for mentioning this and say I'm full of it, but it is what it is, man. You know? Certain things have come to light, man. And that leads me to the next thing ... I've read numerous reviews of this film that were nothing more than straight dialogue transfer or favorite snippets. While that could be cool once, it's been way overdone and most of us are already past it. Let's move on. Lebowski Fest ... is what happens when people fall in love with something and go to extremes for the sake of carrying out a dream, so to speak. It's a worthy event and a lot of fun. I've been twice so far, when it was organized in Los Angeles and I had a blast. Jeff Bridges played on stage the first time and David Huddleston (The Big Lebowski himself) screamed `The Bums Will Always Lose' through the overhead PA at the Cal Bowl lanes in Lakewood, holding fast to a White Russian. Good times are sure to be had, and if you get a chance to go to Lebowski Fest, do so as it's one of the few great events that you can go to that you'll laugh from the first moment to the last minute. Lebowski fest is gearing up for their 7th Annual Fest in Kentucky where it all began. The disc could use more special features, it's been said. It would be good to hear more commentary and to see more footage and interviews, but maybe they'll put all that together for a 10th Anniversary edition this year, who knows. Anything's possible, man. If you will it ... The Big Lebowski is an amazing film that seems to be one of these flukes of filming like Casablanca. While people worked hard to make it happen, no one knew that it would become what is has while they were hard at it. I'm incredibly grateful to the Coen Brothers for this as it is solid entertainment through and through and shouldn't be missed. If you didn't get the first time, just catch it again, later.

The Big Lebowski (Widescreen Collector's Edition) Available from Amazon Price: $9.99 Updated on 8-31-2008.

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